AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
AWOLNATION – The Phantom Five CD/LP (Thank You For Listening Entertainment)
AWOLNATION titling the fifth album of original songs in 15 years, The Phantom Five is about more than just chronology. The number 5 is associated with independence and individualism, major life changes and experiences, all of which influenced the resulting album. It’s a collection of ten songs that highlights every different impulse and urge Bruno has learned to master with AWOLNATION in a cohesive, anthemic pastiche of modern music. As he himself admits, it functions almost as a “greatest hits” album, in the sense that it offers something for everyone who has followed the band’s arc in its celebrated, shape-shifting way. [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Bug Club – On The Intricate Inner Workings Of The System CD/LP (Sub Pop)
The way you’re saying it, “prolific” isn’t the right word for The Bug Club. You’ve got to say it with the trademark Welsh lilt and pay due homage to this inimitable band’s origins in the renowned hit factory of Caldicot, South Wales. Do that, and you’re about right with how to summarize a group who’ve released ten singles, two albums, two EPs, three things nobody knew how to describe, and an album under a different band’s name, all since 2021, and while playing 200+ gigs a year.
Initially comprising the songwriting core of Sam Willmett (vocals/guitar) and Tilly Harris (vocals/bass) with Dan Matthew (drums), The Bug Club started plying their trade in 2016. They were signed by UK label Bingo Records in Autumn of 2020. BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley was an early champion, hammering the single, booking the band in for a session as soon as it was allowed, and rightfully praising songwriters capable of singing the whole alphabet in a two-minute song and making it work. Third LP On The Intricate Inner Workings Of The System sees the band serve up a beefy slab of their specialty Modern-Lovers-meets-Nuggets garage rock. [A smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
Denitia – Sunset Drive CD/LP (Country Road)
On her new album, Sunset Drive, Denitia shares her story of going after something new – a life back in Nashville, where she attended college, immersed in both the city’s roots music scene and the community of the artist collective Black Opry – while experiencing the menagerie of emotions that come with leaving behind what you knew and starting over. Across the album, she draws from the country and alternative rock music she listened to growing up outside of Houston; the songs of artists such as the Eagles, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, and Neil Young, ever present in her life; and the decade she spent entrenched in Brooklyn’s indie music scene. [A bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Deslondes – Roll It Out CD/LP (New West)
The Deslondes is a five-piece group of dudes from New Orleans. The band splits up songwriting and lead vocal duties among its five members, continuing its democratic ethos and musical versatility. Multiple members have released solo recordings between their sophomore release, Hurry Home (2016) and their previous release Ways & Means (2022). Now, with their latest record, Roll It Out, the band continues to build on their inventive take on New Orleans country and R&B. Roll It Out finds the band leaning on the country-folk of their debut along with the sometimes-psychedelic, electrified gospel-soul sound of their previous records. The sound will continue to draw comparisons to the country-funkiness of The Band, Link Wray, and others but Roll It Out is the sound of a band that understands the history of American music, while embracing their own contemporary approach. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Fat Dog – Woof. CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Fat Dog are the most exciting breakthrough band of the past few years, conjurers of the sort of frenzied and wild live shows not seen in the capital for years and now the creators of Woof, a brilliant and mind-bending debut album. A thrilling blend of electro-punk, rock’n’roll snarling, techno soundscapes, industrial-pop and rave euphoria, Woof. is music for letting go to or, in the words of frontman Joe Love, “screaming-into-a-pillow music”. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Heavy Heavy – One Of A Kind CD/LP (ATO)
Having spent two years on stage (Bonnaroo, Boston Calling) and on TV (Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert), Brighton, UK’s The Heavy Heavy now draw listeners even deeper into their dreamworld with their long-awaited debut album, One Of A Kind. Written entirely by co-founders Georgie Fuller and William Turner, the album expands the sunshine psych-pop and folk sound of their debut EP which won massive acclaim from the likes of NME (who named them an essential emerging artist for 2023) and The Guardian.
Sarah Kinsley – Escaper CD/LP (Verve)
Sarah Kinsley’s debut album Escaper is a vibrant, bold and beautiful body of work written solely by this left-field singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Sarah Kinsley (born July 18, 2000) is an American singer-songwriter. Throughout her childhood, she performed classical music in youth orchestras and eventually studied music theory at Columbia University, where she began to produce her own alt pop music. She has continually expressed the importance of her producing every aspect of her music due to the underrepresentation of female producers in the music industry. After her song “The King” had success on TikTok in 2021, she released an extended play (EP) of the same name, which was listed on NME‘s list of top debut projects of 2021. Kinsley followed up the project with subsequent EPs, Cypress (2022) and Ascension (2023).
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks CD/LP/Cassette (ANTI-)
Manning Fireworks is a remarkable development in MJ Lenderman’s story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humor always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. There’s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman let’s listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens. [An indie store exclusive translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Manchester Orchestra – Cope – Live At The Earl CD/LP (Loma Vista)
Releasing Cope, Manchester Orchestra stated it was an “unapologetically heavy rock record.” Ten years later, the legacy holds up as the band’s loudest, fastest and most pounding album of their career. To celebrate the 10th-anniversary of this seminal album, Manchester Orchestra took the stage for one night only at East Atlanta’s tiny but beloved rock venue The Earl to perform a blistering set of the record from start to finish – immortalized on this special tribute. [An indie store exclusive bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Toro y Moi – Hole Erth CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Hole Erth, Chaz Bear’s eighth full-length studio record as Toro y Moi, is the genre shapeshifter’s most unexpected and bold move to date, with Bear diving headlong into rap-rock, Soundcloud rap and Y2K emo. The album blitzes anthemic pop-punk next to autotuned, melancholic rap – two genres that inform one another now more than ever before – and packs in the most features ever on a Toro y Moi album. A sense of nostalgia sneaks its way into almost every Toro y Moi release, but angst is an emotion that Bear has never intentionally explored the way he does here. [A clear w/ blue smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
Wayne Graham – Bastion CD/LP (Hickman Holler)
Wayne Graham (the band) has long been at the forefront of the new movement of artists shaping the New Appalachian Sound – shaped by tradition, but intentionally set on forging a new sonic landscape. The new album, Bastion firmly establishes them as the architects of a new sound coming from the region. The songs on the album are treated like the complex feelings we feel, vague and cloaked in mystery, or sometimes blunt and pleading for change. Different instruments wash in and out like a stream of thoughts; some soothing, some disruptive. Year after year, our perspectives unravel into new version after new version, losing vital information with each update. The songs on this record speak to the forgetting. The name or phrase on the tip of our tongue that we can’t say, because it’s hiding in our mind behind a worry or distraction. [A brown color vinyl pressing is available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
Steeleye Span – Now We Are Six [50th Anniversary Edition] CD/LP (Chrysalis)
Now We Are Six is the sixth studio album from seminal British folk band Steeleye Span. Following on from a run of albums which solidified them as the premier UK folk outfit, Six bolstered the band’s increasing rock sound further. Nigel Pegrum was added as full-time drummer, and Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson was brought in to assist with production, on a record which also features a guest spot from one David Bowie, playing saxophone on the last number. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Now We Are Six, the album has been newly remastered from the original tape transfers and includes rare BBC sessions from the band’s performances on Sounds Of The Seventies and Radio One in 1974 – not heard since original airing. [A clear vinyl pressing (no bonus tracks) is available.]
Ultravox – Lament [Deluxe Edition]: 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 8xCD/2xLP/5xLP (Chrysalis)
40th Anniversary Edition of Ultravox’s Lament album, originally released in April 1984, followed three successful albums with Midge Ure on vocals, along with two full world tours. Produced by the band themselves in the latter half of 1983, the album includes the worldwide hit “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes”, along with “One Small Day” and the title track “Lament”. This new 72 track Deluxe Edition CD box set pulls together a newly remastered version of the album, all the single versions, B-sides, 12″ remixes and rarities, along with 45 previously unreleased tracks, including a brand-new 1980s style extended remix of every track on the album by Moby, Steve Wilson and Blank & Jones and Midge Ure, new 5.1 and Stereo mixes by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), newly mixed full concert from Hammersmith Odeon 1984, and a handful of work in progress mixes. [Two vinyl editions are available (including a deluxe clear 5xLP set), each featuring assorted bonus tracks.]
CDs + Vinyl:
10,000 Maniacs – MTV Unplugged [Reissue/1993] CD/2xLP (Elektra/WEA)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition. Originally released in October 1993, MTV Unplugged is 10,000 Maniacs’ most commercially successful album, featuring the band’s best-loved songs and marks the final recording with lead singer Natalie Merchant before she embarked on her solo career. Includes newly remastered sound, as well as bonus tracks with the band being joined by vocalist guest David Byrne. The collection showcases acoustic versions of songs from three of the band’s previous albums: In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man’s Zoo (1989), and Our Time In Eden (1992).
Amadou & Mariam – La Vie Est Belle (Best Of) CD/2xLP (Because Music)
La Vie Est Belle is more than a career best of Amadou & Mariam, the world’s most famous Malian couple who collaborated with great names such as Damon Albarn, Santigold, Manu Chao, Scissor Sisters and TV On The Radio. It’s bringing together exclusive new songs such as “Mogulu,” and their greatest hits, from “Sabali” and “Beaux Dimanches,” to “Je pense à toi (live version)” and “Bofou Safou.”
America – America: Live At The Hollywood Bowl 1975 CD/2xLP (Primary Wave)
Travel back in time to August 3, 1975: America takes the stage at the Hollywood Bowl backed by a symphony conducted by George Martin. The never-before-heard tapes have recently been remastered for the new release Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975, featuring live renditions of America’s hits like “Sister Golden Hair,” “Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway,” and more. [A red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bodysnatcher – Vile Conduct CDEP/12” (MNRK Heavy)
Since their 2014 inception in Melbourne, Florida, Bodysnatcher have been bringing nothing but the finest in furious, extreme music. Combining crushing breakdowns with eerie ambience, scathing riffs and grisly grooves, the band have become synonymous with “heavy,” invoking violence in every city they happen to visit, spawning mosh pits that leave nothing but craters in their wake. Now, with the upcoming release of their 2024 EP, Vile Conduct, the band are back with yet another demonstration of pure power that once more exemplifies Bodysnatcher bursting out of conventional genre constraints in favor of putting out something that is simply… heavy.
Marie Boine – Alva CD/LP (By Norse Music)
On her new album Alva, singer, musician, activist and cultural icon Mari Boine offers glimpses into a childhood which she abandoned when she chose to leave behind a strict religious upbringing to pursue a life of activism. The new studio record reflects on finding the balance the between her, the at times lonely, mission to share the culture and histories of the Sámi people through music to people across the world, and her personal journey and relationships.
Boston Manor – Sundiver CD/LP (Sharptone)
Sundiver is a significant album for the band. Originally coming out of the emo and pop punk scene, they’ve explored sonics and genres throughout their career, taken risks and achieved more than they could ever had dreamed of. They’ve grown up as Boston Manor – their lives and the world changing around them. They’re now taking stock; at a crossroads of the band they were and the band they could be. [A splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Cardigans – The Rest Of The Best – Vol. 1 CD/2xLP (Mercury)
The Cardigans – The Rest Of The Best – Vol. 2 CD/2xLP (Mercury)
The Cardigans compilation album The Rest Of The Best Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 covers some of the bands recordings released as B-sides on singles, soundtracks and as bonus tracks on Japanese, French and UK versions of their albums between 1994 – 2006. Each volume was compiled by The Cardigans and remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.
Castle – Evil Remains CD (Napalm/Hammerheart)
New album by the high priests of sinister doom. [Vinyl version due October 4.]
Cathedral Ceilings – La La La…Whatever CD/LP (Dromedary)
A dozen hot, guitar driven punk anthems in quick succession, with the same intensity as their ferocious live shows will attest. Described as Cheap Trick on speed meets the Ramones on steroids, Cathedral Ceilings have played with the likes of Screaming Females, Tsunami, Aeon Station, Das Damen, Lupo Citta, and Sleepyhead – and that’s just in the last year.
The Cold Stares – The Southern CD (Mascot)
Championed for their gutsy and personal approach to songcraft, this new album embraces the band’s connection with their southern musical roots, all expressed through a contemporary lens that only The Cold Stares can offer. By blending raw power, emotional depth, gritty guitar riffs, compelling vocals, and robust rhythm, The Cold Stares embodies the heart and soul of southern blues rock for a contemporary audience. [Vinyl version due September 13.]
The Dare – What’s Wrong With New York CD/LP (Republic)
What’s Wrong With New York? is the long awaited and highly anticipated debut album from The Dare. Recorded between The Dare’s home and studio in New York, it features songwriting and production collabs with Dylan Brady (100 gecs), Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey, FKA twigs, Dua Lipa), Romil Hemnani (Brockhampton), Chris Greatti (Yves Tumor, Yeule), Isaac Eiger of Strange Ranger and more. The Dare is the solo project of vocalist, songwriter and producer Harrison Patrick Smith.
Jackson Dean – On The Back Of My Dreams CD (Big Machine)
Jackson Dean’s On The Back of My Dreams is a textured body of work, where each song was derived from a moment of imagination from Dean’s mind, giving listeners a look into the depth of his artistry. Already one of Nashville’s most intriguing artists with his strong gravel-tone vocals, wayward spirit, intentional songwriting and overall mystique, Dean embarks on an impressive new chapter, delivering an aspirational and captivating vocal performance that is striking with both swagger and intellect.
Deftones – B-Sides & Rarities [Reissue/2005] CD/2xLP (Reprise)
Digitally remastered edition of this 2005 Deftones compilation of covers, acoustic versions, live tracks and other rarities. Includes “Change (In The House Of Flies)”, “Be Quiet And Drive (Far away)” [both acoustic], “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want”, “Simple Man”, “No Ordinary Love” & more.
Denitia – Sunset Drive CD/LP (Country Road)
On her new album, Sunset Drive, Denitia shares her story of going after something new – a life back in Nashville, where she attended college, immersed in both the city’s roots music scene and the community of the artist collective Black Opry – while experiencing the menagerie of emotions that come with leaving behind what you knew and starting over. Across the album, she draws from the country and alternative rock music she listened to growing up outside of Houston; the songs of artists such as the Eagles, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, and Neil Young, ever present in her life; and the decade she spent entrenched in Brooklyn’s indie music scene. [A bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Deslondes – Roll It Out CD/LP (New West)
The Deslondes is a five-piece group of dudes from New Orleans. The band splits up songwriting and lead vocal duties among its five members, continuing its democratic ethos and musical versatility. Multiple members have released solo recordings between their sophomore release, Hurry Home (2016) and their previous release Ways & Means (2022). Now, with their latest record, Roll It Out, the band continues to build on their inventive take on New Orleans country and R&B. Roll It Out finds the band leaning on the country-folk of their debut along with the sometimes-psychedelic, electrified gospel-soul sound of their previous records. The sound will continue to draw comparisons to the country-funkiness of The Band, Link Wray, and others but Roll It Out is the sound of a band that understands the history of American music, while embracing their own contemporary approach. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Dummy – Free Energy CD/LP (Trouble In Mind)
Sophomore album from this Los Angeles-based group is a record that celebrates music’s ability to move the body, whether that be through a teeth-rattling wall of MBV-esque noise, a sticky pop chorus, or a joyous drum machine – or, if you’re Dummy, maybe all of them in the same song.
Faces – Faces At The BBC: Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings (1970-1973) 8xCD+Blu-ray (Rhino)
Experience the legendary BBC recordings of the Faces from 1970-1973 in an exclusive 8xCD + Blu-ray collection that marks the first time these recordings have been officially released together. Featuring remastered live concerts, rare studio sessions plus a restored live TV performance which all showcase the band’s legendary status. Recovered from the BBC and the Faces own archives, including a previously un-broadcasted concert, this set includes a 48-page fully illustrated book with commentary from band members and revealing behind-the-scenes stories.
Fame On Fire – The Death Card CD/LP (Hopeless)
Fame On Fire push the boundaries of where rock, hip-hop, and heavy music meet by being their unrepentant selves. For Fans Of: From Ashes to New, Point North, Wind Walkers. [A white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Fast Eddie Clarke – Make My Day: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Story Of Fast Eddie Clarke 4xCD (Sanctuary)
A deluxe career spanning collection from the legendary ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke includes previously unreleased tracks by Motörhead, Fastway and his solo work. Includes “Make My Day” a comprehensive 300-page official biography of Eddie’s life and career by Kris Needs and and Mariko Fujiwara giving you a glimpse into the life and times of a proper rock ‘n’ roll great.
Fat Dog – Woof. CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Fat Dog are the most exciting breakthrough band of the past few years, conjurers of the sort of frenzied and wild live shows not seen in the capital for years and now the creators of Woof, a brilliant and mind-bending debut album. A thrilling blend of electro-punk, rock’n’roll snarling, techno soundscapes, industrial-pop and rave euphoria, Woof. is music for letting go to or, in the words of frontman Joe Love, “screaming-into-a-pillow music”. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Finish Ticket – Echo Afternoon CD/LP (Better Noise)
Finish Ticket is back with their long-awaited sophomore album, Echo Afternoon. Known for the honestly, passion and emotional openness the band brings to the alt scene, the American indie band established themselves as the band to watch, landing tours with Twenty One Pilots, AWOLNATION, and Nothing But Thieves – and most recently last year’s Lollapalooza appearance. [A color vinyl pressing is available.]
Claude Fontaine – Le Mer CD/LP (Innovative Leisure)
With their dulcet fusion of ‘60s French ye-ye pop, slinky Studio One reggae, and liminal Brazilian tropicalia, Claude Fontaine’s songs embody the best kept dreams of a globally connected world. The second album from the Los Angeles artist reflects the dream of creating the soundtrack for this utopia by the sea.
David Gilmour – Luck And Strange CD/LP/Blu-ray Audio (Sony Legacy)
The brand-new album by David Gilmour, Luck And Strange was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and is Gilmour’s first album of new material in nine years. The record was produced by David and Charlie Andrew, best known for his work with ALT-J and Marika Hackman, with lyrics mostly written by Polly Samson, Gilmour’s co-writer for the past thirty years.
The album features eight new tracks along with a beautiful reworking of The Montgolfier Brothers’ “Between Two Points”, which sees Romany Gilmour, who performs backing vocals across the album, on vocals and harp. [A cobalt blue color vinyl pressing, and a Blu-ray audio disc edition are available.]
God Dethroned – The Judas Paradox CD (Reigning Phoenix Music)
In early fall of 2023, God Dethroned started the writing and recording process of a new album called The Judas Paradox. An album which adds another dimension to the band’s long history of creating very diverse albums. The title track of the album deals with the topic of Judas being the scapegoat, used for a scheme to create a king for this world and how Jesus responds to him for being trapped in this dubious collaboration. [Vinyl version due October 18.]
God Is An Astronaut – Embers CD/2xLP (Napalm)
Embark on a captivating sonic voyage with the mesmerizing new album Embers from the internationally acclaimed instrumental band.
Wolfgang Haffner – Life Rhythm CD/LP (Act)
With its warmth, power and clarity, the music has the distinctive hallmark which makes Haffner probably the most popular drummer/bandleader in Europe, known from his albums and from thousands of concerts in more than 100 countries. And at the same time, it marks an evolution in his music. Indeed, perhaps one of the key factors behind Haffner’s success is that his music will always contain elements of the familiar alongside the new, and that Haffner always brings the audience along with him to participate in the flow of his ideas – and also in the ‘life rhythm’ which he communicates so brilliantly and instills in everyone around him. A versatile approach and the highest level of musicianship are also factors which Wolfgang Haffner has in common with his fellow musicians on Life Rhythm.
The Heavy Heavy – One Of A Kind CD/LP (ATO)
Having spent two years on stage (Bonnaroo, Boston Calling) and on TV (Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert), Brighton, UK’s The Heavy Heavy now draw listeners even deeper into their dreamworld with their long-awaited debut album, One Of A Kind. Written entirely by co-founders Georgie Fuller and William Turner, the album expands the sunshine psych-pop and folk sound of their debut EP which won massive acclaim from the likes of NME (who named them an essential emerging artist for 2023) and The Guardian.
Paris Hilton – Infinite Icon CD (11:11 Media)
Entrepreneur. CEO. New York Times best-selling author. Activist. Designer. Actress. Model. Influencer. DJ. Recording Artist. Mother. Icon. Synonymous with pop culture, Paris Hilton needs no introduction. In her latest chapter, Hilton is making a triumphant return to the recording studio with her second album, executive produced by Sia. An autobiographical record, the album shares Hilton’s full story, from pop high priestess to media maven to mother.
Hinds – Viva Hinds CD/LP (Lucky Number)
Madrid’s Hinds, back to their formative line-up of best friends Carlotta Cosials & Ana Perrote, return with a sonically adventurous & career-defining 4th album. Recorded with producer Pete Robertson (Beabadoobee) & Grammy-nominated engineer Tom Roach in rural France, Viva Hinds features the singles “Coffee”, “Boom Boom Back” with a guest verse from Beck & the band’s close friend Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. singing on the simmering post-punk inspired stand-out track “Stranger.” [An indie store exclusive translucent pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Hour Of Penance – Devotion CD (Agonia)
New album by the Italian technical death metal band.
Jaehyn – The 1st Album ‘J’ (Money Clip Ver.) CD (SM Entertainment Co.)
First solo album by the NCT member.
Corey Kent – Black Bandana CD/LP (SME Nashville)
Sophomore album by the Nashville singer-songwriter. Kent finds himself musically at the intersection of rock infused country, heartland values, and red dirt grit.
Sarah Kinsley – Escaper CD/LP (Verve)
Sarah Kinsley’s debut album Escaper is a vibrant, bold and beautiful body of work written solely by this left-field singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Sarah Kinsley (born July 18, 2000) is an American singer-songwriter. Throughout her childhood, she performed classical music in youth orchestras and eventually studied music theory at Columbia University, where she began to produce her own alt pop music. She has continually expressed the importance of her producing every aspect of her music due to the underrepresentation of female producers in the music industry. After her song “The King” had success on TikTok in 2021, she released an extended play (EP) of the same name, which was listed on NME‘s list of top debut projects of 2021. Kinsley followed up the project with subsequent EPs, Cypress (2022) and Ascension (2023).
Lettuce – Live In Tokyo [Reissue/2004] CD/LP (Lettuce)
Live in Tokyo is one of Lettuce’s most electrifying albums recorded live that captures the essence of the renowned funk band in one of their energetic performances in Tokyo, Japan. Released in 2004, this album showcases the band’s musicianship and their ability to captivate audiences with their unique blend of funk, jazz, and soul. Throughout the album, Lettuce delivers powerful and tight performances, demonstrating their mastery of improvisation and groove.
LL Cool J – The Force CD/LP (LL Cool J – Force)
Hip-hop legend LL Cool J returns with The Force, his first new album in more than a decade. Produced in it’s entirety by A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip, The Force (an acronym for Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) represents years of intense work. The result is an album that sounds thoroughly modern – full of razor-sharp writing and nimble, elastic vocals – but rooted in a rich tradition.
Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk CD/2xLP (Mom & Pop Music)
Magdalena Bay, the Los Angeles-based duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, create magical pop music that floats in the ether of our collective social cosmos. While they call California home, their essence lies in the clouds, emitting unique yet familiar frequencies of synthesized nostalgia, kitschy catchiness, and warped neo-hooks. Suited for the times, Magdalena Bay blends the known and felt with innovative sonic landscapes. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Heiko Maile + Julian Demarre – Neostalgia CD/LP (Bureau B)
Heiko Maile and Julian Demarre, both pop musicians and film composers, have been collaborating since the mid-’90s album classic Meanwhile by Camouflage. While Heiko continued pursuing the perfect pop song, they both landed their first feature film score gigs. In recent years while working together on several films, they felt they should create something for themselves — a love letter to ’70s and ’80s electronic music. With some esoteric 1970s keyboards from Japan designed for the sound of tomorrow they have now recorded an album for all the days after tomorrow. The result is the genre-bending album Neostalgia, a unique blend of various electronic styles and 1970s Krautrock with pieces featuring intros/outros, flutes, flanger guitars and vocoders, and tracks pushing the six-minute mark.
Manchester Orchestra – Cope – Live At The Earl CD/LP (Loma Vista)
Releasing Cope, Manchester Orchestra stated it was an “unapologetically heavy rock record.” Ten years later, the legacy holds up as the band’s loudest, fastest and most pounding album of their career. To celebrate the 10th-anniversary of this seminal album, Manchester Orchestra took the stage for one night only at East Atlanta’s tiny but beloved rock venue The Earl to perform a blistering set of the record from start to finish – immortalized on this special tribute. [An indie store exclusive bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Mausoleum – Defiling The Decayed CD/LP (Moribund)
Zomiecult death metal. [A green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Cass McCombs – Not The Way [Reissue/2002] 12” (4AD)
Cass McCombs – A [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (4AD)
Cass McCombs – Prefection [Reissue/2005] CD/LP (4AD)
CD and vinyl reissues of the singer-songwriter’s first three releases.
Mercury Rev – Born Horses CD/LP (Bella Union)
A sound and vision linked to their exalted past whilst quite unlike anything they have created before? The answer is somewhere between the homes of founder members Jonathan Donahue (the hamlet of Mt Tremper) and Grasshopper (the town of Kingston), in their veins and brains of their now-legendary tapping of musical cosmology, and the vital presence of new permanent member Marion Genser (keys), plus long-term ally Jesse Chandler (keys) and guests Jeff Lipstein (drums), Martin Keith (double bass) and Jim Burgess (trumpet). A place that feeds off the levitating mood of their last album, 2019’s expansive tribute Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited, and the instrumental psych explorations under the names of Harmony Rockets and Mercury Rev’s Clear Light Ensemble, and the spiritual guidance of avant-garde artist Tony Conrad and Beat poet Robert Creeley, to whom Born Horses is dedicated.
Midwife – No Depression In Heaven CD/LP/Cassette (The Flenser)
Midwife’s No Depression In Heaven, her fourth studio album, was written primarily in the back of vans while on tour endlessly over the course of the past few years. The record engages with the contemplative spirit of rock ‘n’ roll from within a body in motion. No Depression In Heaven explores themes of sentimentality, the interplay between dreams, memory, and fantasy, and a familiar subject seen throughout all of Midwife’s work: grief. [A red color vinyl pressing is available.]
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks CD/LP/Cassette (ANTI-)
Manning Fireworks is a remarkable development in MJ Lenderman’s story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humor always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. There’s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman let’s listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens. [An indie store exclusive translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Molchat Doma – Belaya Polosa CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group Molchat Doma have always exuded the kind of
brutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It’s cold, gray, imposing, industrial-and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake of their breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the nadir of an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into their new home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album Belaya Polosa, a testament to change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the ’90s, and a technicolor reinvention of the band’s somber dancefloor anthems. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available.]
Needtobreathe – The Outsiders [Reissue/2009] CD/LP (Omnivore Recordings)
Since 1999, the Grammy-nominated southern rock band Needtobreathe have quietly emerged as a dynamic force in music, from independently releasing their first album in 2001 to finding themselves playing arenas and receiving nominations for multiple Dove Awards, Grammys, and Billboard Music Awards. The band originally released their third album, The Outsiders, in 2009. [A translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Old Dominion – Oldies But Goodies CD (SME Nashville)
Sixth album by the Americana/country band.
Party Dozen – Crime In Australia CD/LP (Temporary Residence)
The Real Work was not the first Party Dozen record, but it was in many ways where Party Dozen really started to put it all together. Crime In Australia continues to build on their arc and elevates their ascent with a slew of new songs that are simultaneously more focused and more feral than anything they’ve ever done. [A blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
PeelingFlesh – The G Code CD (Unique Leader)
The fastest rising band in modern slam return with their eagerly awaited new album The G Code. Featuring guest appearances from Despised Icon’s Alex Erian & Steve Marois, Cold Hard Truth’s Tim Louth, Matti Way (Ex – Disgorge/Liturgy/ Abominable Putridity) and more, The G Code is a mixtape style record that invokes both nostalgia and forward thinking. [Vinyl version due November 15.]
Greg ‘Stackhouse’ Provost – After The Wars CD (Mean Disposition)
Here you will find true folk rock wonders, classy baroque pop and psychedelia, country, blues, Gospel, and-of course-straight rock and roll. This is a festival of good taste in the form of songs infused with shiny 12-string guitars, plush acoustics, crafted vocal harmonies, wailing harps and hypnotic arrangements of cello, piano & organ, steel guitar, and much more.
Pure Reason Revolution – Coming Up To Consciousness CD/2xCD/LP (Inside Out)
Coming Up To Consciousness is Pure Reason Revolution’s sixth studio album, and the third of its post-hiatus renaissance that began with 2020’s Eupnea and continued in 2022’s Above Cirrus. Like those two predecessors, the new record is intensely personal. While the band’s distinctive style remains, melding prog and pop through dreamy moods, epic riffs and angelic harmonies, Courtney and Greg Jong also tried to go somewhere a bit different, drawing on influences like Talk Talk, Elliot Smith, The Smile and even Arctic Monkeys in addition to perennial favorites – especially Pink Floyd. [A blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Pyrrhon – Exhaust CD (Willowtip)
New album by the New York metal band.
Rex Orange County – The Alexander Technique CD/2xLP (RCA)
The Alexander Technique, Rex Orange County’s fifth studio album, is a detailed portrait of Alex’s lived experience from his early to mid-20’s. The album was produced by Rex himself alongside Teo Halm and Jim Reed, in addition to James Blake who produced and features on the track “Look Me In The Eyes”. Longer than any project he’s ever made and more musically varied, The Alexander Technique was made over a matter of years and recorded at various studios including Abbey Road, Henson, Conway, Decoy & Black Rock. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Seefeel – Everything Squared CD/LP (Warp)
After critically acclaimed reissues of their mid-90s material, Seefeel return with their first new music since 2011. Everything Squared is a one-off 6-track mini-album that presents a contemporary evolution of their trademark sound. Mainly composed and performed by the core duo of Mark Clifford and Sarah Peacock, with bass on two tracks from Shigeru Ishihara.
Shovels & Rope – Something Is Working Up Above My Head CD/LP (Dualtone Music Group)
From the inimitable husband and wife folk-punk duo that started a movement, Shovels & Rope’s new studio album ‘Something Is Working Up Above My Head’ is a catalog of vulnerable characters with sweet and sordid narratives. [A clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Nancy Sinatra – Nancy In London [Reissue/1966] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Strawberries, cherries, and an angel’s kiss in spring…” were the immortal words sung by a twenty-five-year-old Nancy Sinatra on a frigid spring day in a London recording studio during the sessions for her third LP in four months. The 1966 album was cut in three days at Pye Studios where The Kinks, Petula Clark, and David Bowie recorded their songs in the mid-1960s. By going directly to the source and choosing songs like “On Broadway,” “Wishin’ and Hopin’,” and “This Little Bird,” the album has an unequivocally British feel. The LP includes the timeless Nancy & Lee Hazlewood duet “Summer Wine.” [A red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Steeleye Span – Now We Are Six [50th Anniversary Edition] CD/LP (Chrysalis)
Now We Are Six is the sixth studio album from seminal British folk band Steeleye Span. Following on from a run of albums which solidified them as the premier UK folk outfit, Six bolstered the band’s increasing rock sound further. Nigel Pegrum was added as full-time drummer, and Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson was brought in to assist with production, on a record which also features a guest spot from one David Bowie, playing saxophone on the last number. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Now We Are Six, the album has been newly remastered from the original tape transfers and includes rare BBC sessions from the band’s performances on Sounds Of The Seventies and Radio One in 1974 – not heard since original airing. [A clear vinyl pressing (no bonus tracks) is available.]
George Strait – Cowboys And Dreamers CD/2xLP (MCA Nashville)
George Strait’s latest album, Cowboys And Dreamers, is his first new music since 2019. This new collection features 13 songs and includes a duet with Chris Stapleton.
SUNNS – The Breaks CD/LP (Joyful Noise)
On their sixth long player The Breaks, SUUNS find themselves lost in limbo. The trio of Ben Shemie, Joseph Yarmush and Liam O’ Neill leans more zealously than ever into their pop instincts. Yet remarkably enough, with that same dauntless abandon, SUUNS have mined a more extreme sonic palette this time around, one that stretches far beyond their core fundamentals as a band The Breaks finds Shemie, O’Neill and Yarmush gleefully experimenting with loops, synths, samples and MIDI instruments like a post-millennial Tangerine Dream messing with downtempo triphop beats. [A translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Superposition – II CD/LP (We Jazz)
New album by the Finnish jazz quartet. Think of acoustic freedom jazz lineage set in motion by the likes of Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman and many more.
Sybris – Gold On Hold CD/LP (Absolutely Kosher)
A triumphantly brooding, surprisingly catchy LP perfect for ex-goths, alt. rockers, & heavenly angels struggling with life or looking for trouble. The loooong-awaited third album by Chicago’s Sybris is their masterpiece, shockingly more relevant than ever. [A silver and gold color vinyl pressing is available.]
Sylvester – Live At The Opera House: The Complete Recordings) 2xCD/3xLP (Craft Recordings)
Live At the Opera House is the first-ever full release of Sylvester’s iconic 1979 concert at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, previously available only as heavily edited excerpts. The album features 13 unedited songs from the performance, plus a recording of the mid-concert ceremony where Sylvester was awarded the key to San Francisco, culminating in over an hour of previously unreleased music and a total runtime of over two hours. [A purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Thermality – Final Hours CD/LP (Black Lodge)
New alb by the Swedish death metal band. [A clear w/ black splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]
The The – Ensoulment CD/2xLP (earMUSIC)
The 12 songs on Ensoulment encompass characteristic topics ranging from love & sex, war & politics, life & death – to the meaning of what it is to be human in the 21st century. Singer-songwriter Matt Johnson is joined by long-standing The The members James Eller (bass), DC Collard (keyboards), Earl Harvin (drums), and Barrie Cadogan (lead guitar). The album also marks the return of co-producer and engineer Warne Livesey, who previously worked on landmark The The albums Infected (1986) and Mind Bomb (1989). Additional performances include Gillian Glover (backing vocals), Terry Edwards (horns), Sonya Cullingford (fiddle) and Danny Cummings (percussion). [A deluxe mediabook CD version and a clear vinyl pressing are available.]
Toro y Moi – Hole Erth CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Hole Erth, Chaz Bear’s eighth full-length studio record as Toro y Moi, is the genre shapeshifter’s most unexpected and bold move to date, with Bear diving headlong into rap-rock, Soundcloud rap and Y2K emo. The album blitzes anthemic pop-punk next to autotuned, melancholic rap – two genres that inform one another now more than ever before – and packs in the most features ever on a Toro y Moi album. A sense of nostalgia sneaks its way into almost every Toro y Moi release, but angst is an emotion that Bear has never intentionally explored the way he does here. [A clear w/ blue smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
Tzuyu – AbouTZU [Digipak Ver.] CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
Tzuyu – AbouTZU [Fly Ver.] CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
Tzuyu – AbouTZU [Heaven Ver.] CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
Tzuyu – AbouTZU [Run Ver.] CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
Solo album by the Twice member.
Ultravox – Lament [Deluxe Edition]: 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 8xCD/2xLP/5xLP (Chrysalis)
40th Anniversary Edition of Ultravox’s Lament album, originally released in April 1984, followed three successful albums with Midge Ure on vocals, along with two full world tours. Produced by the band themselves in the latter half of 1983, the album includes the worldwide hit “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes”, along with “One Small Day” and the title track “Lament”. This new 72 track Deluxe Edition CD box set pulls together a newly remastered version of the album, all the single versions, B-sides, 12″ remixes and rarities, along with 45 previously unreleased tracks, including a brand-new 1980s style extended remix of every track on the album by Moby, Steve Wilson and Blank & Jones and Midge Ure, new 5.1 and Stereo mixes by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), newly mixed full concert from Hammersmith Odeon 1984, and a handful of work in progress mixes. [Two vinyl editions are available (including a deluxe clear 5xLP set), each featuring assorted bonus tracks.]
Various Artists – Kompakt Total 24 CD/2xLP (Kompakt)
Hello 24! Nice to have you here. 23 is so yesterday, so over the top, really. Well, we’ve been dancing the following dances recently. What about you? What lasts a long time usually turns out well. Having admired Tee Mango from afar for many years, our A&R Michael Mayer took heart and invited him to this year’s Total. “So In Love” is in the best tradition of the Kompakt minimal funk of the early years. We are delighted to have this lovely Englishman on board!
Vestige – Janis CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
From the tempestuous union in Naraka, adorned with stints on stage with legends like Cradle of Filth and Alcest, emerged Vestige-Théodore Rondeau’s evocative creation after a tumultuous personal era. The band, with its rich, modern metal aura, is poised to entwine their raw emotions with the very fabric of their listener’s soul. Anticipate Janis, Vestige’s inaugural album – profound sounds and whispered silences, crafting a musical narrative that grips the heart. With tracks that traverse through atmospheric shoegaze, intense melodic landscapes, and poignant tormented times, Janis juxtaposes the agony of despair with the sublime beauty of hope.
Vex – New Sick Music CD/LP (Heptown)
Vex is a dance-punk, synth-pop band from Malmö, Sweden. The band is easily recognizable by their signature yellow appearance. The music is upbeat electronic pop with a punk attitude, reminiscent of bands like Devo, B52s, Pete Shelley, New Order or just the eclectic energy from any early 1980s weirdo.
Wage War – Stigma CD/LP (Fearless)
Fifth studio album by American metalcore band.
Wayne Graham – Bastion CD/LP (Hickman Holler)
Wayne Graham (the band) has long been at the forefront of the new movement of artists shaping the New Appalachian Sound – shaped by tradition, but intentionally set on forging a new sonic landscape. The new album, Bastion firmly establishes them as the architects of a new sound coming from the region. The songs on the album are treated like the complex feelings we feel, vague and cloaked in mystery, or sometimes blunt and pleading for change. Different instruments wash in and out like a stream of thoughts; some soothing, some disruptive. Year after year, our perspectives unravel into new version after new version, losing vital information with each update. The songs on this record speak to the forgetting. The name or phrase on the tip of our tongue that we can’t say, because it’s hiding in our mind behind a worry or distraction. [A brown color vinyl pressing is available.]
Wolfheart – Draconian Darkness CD/LP (Reigning Phoenix Music)
New album by the Finnish icy melodic death metal band.
Neil Young – Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976 – 1987) 17xCD (Reprise/Wea)
Neil Young – Neil Young Archives Vol. III Takes 2xLP (Reprise/Wea)
This is the third volume of the Neil Young Archives series of box sets produced by Neil Young. A definitive, comprehensive, and chronological record of his entire body of released work. Volume III covers the period from 1976 through 1987, an extremely productive and musically diverse period in Neil Young’s career that included the release of several classic albums including Comes A Time, Rust Never Sleeps, Live Rust and Trans. Spanning 11 years, this Archives box set covers more years, and includes more music and video than the previous two volumes in the Archives series. The 17 CDs in the box set contain 15 completely unreleased songs, and 121 unreleased versions (original versions, alternate versions, different mixes, live tracks). Included are the unreleased albums Oceanside Countryside, Johnny’s Island and Summer Songs. 14 hours of audio. [Takes” is a vinyl only, 2xLP, 16-track compilation featuring one track from each of 16 of the 17 CDs in the Archives III box set. Takes includes three unreleased songs and 12 previously unreleased versions. It is the only way to get these unreleased songs or versions on vinyl.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
David Bowie – The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars [Reissue/1972] Blu-ray Audio (Rhino/Parlophone)
The first Blu-Ray audio and physically available Atmos mix for David Bowie. The audio was mixed from the multi-track tapes at the famous RAK Studios in London by original co-producer Ken Scott. The Blu-ray features the Dolby-Atmos mix, along with a new 2024 stereo mix of the album.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Ant – Collection Of Sounds Vol. 1 LP (Rhymesayers)
Green colorway. Anthony “Ant” Davis is a distinguished hip-hop producer, one-half of the renowned duo Atmosphere, and a founding member of independent record label Rhymesayers Entertainment. His decades-long career of beat-making has also included works for MF DOOM, Brother Ali, Murs, Rav, Sage Francis and a dozen others. Raised in a military family, his nomadic upbringing exposed him to many diverse influences and, coupled with his father’s love for collecting records, laid the groundwork for his deep appreciation for all sorts of music. Ant’s latest endeavor, Collection Of Sounds, is a four-volume series of instrumental works showcasing the breadth and depth of his musical expertise.
Chet Baker – Straight From The Heart: The Great Last Concert Vol. II LP (Enja)
Reissue of the last recording of legendary trumpeter Chet Baker, from April 28th, 1988. The producer of NDR radio in Hamburg had asked Chet what his favorite project would be, carte blanche. Well, he answered that he would love to record with a quintet of good friends, a jazz big band and a symphonic orchestra. All were provided and the result is a breath-taking event indeed.
Sara Bareilles – Kaleidoscope Heart [Reissue/2010] LP (Legacy)
Kaleidoscope Heart is the third studio album and second major label album by singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, which was released on September 7, 2010. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 90,000 copies in its first week. Featuring the hits “King of Anything,” “Gonna Get Over You” and “Uncharted.”
Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten [Reissue/2004] LP (Sony Legacy)
Unwritten is the bold and unapologetic debut album from Natasha Bedingfield. Released in 2004, Unwritten is fueled by lyrical sass and real-life suss throughout and is musically inspired by a wide range of influences and styles. The album’s title track “Unwritten” has recently been experiencing a second round of success and, 20 years later, has reappeared in charts across the world.
Big & Rich – Greatest Hits LP (Friday Music)
Turquoise colorway. This year, Big Kenny and John Rich celebrate 20 years of a great musical partnership which has netted the superstar country duo many hit records and prestigious awards.
Francesca Brown – Stolen Land And Broken Dreams LP (Heavy Meadows)
The songs are very personal and have a running theme, which is California. Francesca’s beautiful and poignant voice, poetic yet direct lyrics, and her own style of acoustic picking are the backbone. Glistening pedal steel, bar room piano, Fender Tele, down home fiddle, and throbbing bass and drums cater to the songs with perfection. The result is an infectious mix of classic country, straight up ‘don’t f*** with me’ honky tonk, and Laurel Canyon folk.
Jimmy Buffet – Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes [Reissue/1977] LP (Geffen)
Jimmy Buffet – Son Of A Son Of A Sailor [Reissue/1978] LP (Geffen)
Jimmy Buffet – Volcano [Reissue/1979] LP (Geffen)
Jimmy Buffet – Barometer Soup [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (MCA Nashville)
Four albums by the legendary singer-songwriter – back in print on vinyl.
Callahan & Witscher – Think Differently LP (Post Present Medium)
Think Differently is the debut LP by the duo Callahan & Witscher. Jeff Witscher has been one of the most daring voices in underground American music for two decades, highlighted by releases on Pan and NNA Tapes. Jack Callahan’s focused, uncompromising approach to sound caught the attention of both Demdike Stare’s DDS label and Swiss composer Jürg Frey, who took Callahan on as his first composition student. Fans of their individual work might expect opacity, disruption, or rhythmic irregularity from their collaboration, but Think Differently sounds like a pitbull in a convertible, a sand-kicking beach party, the dopamine hit you get from 311 or Smash Mouth. It’s a punchy, crunchy, highly infectious record.
The Doug Carn Trio – The Doug Carn Trio [Reissue/1969] LP (Real Gone Music)
Keyboardist/composer Doug Carn was the biggest star on the legendary Black Jazz Records label, with four releases to his credit and remains a touchstone for spiritual jazz fans and musicians alike. But very, very few folks have heard his debut record, cut for the venerable Savoy label back in 1969.
Chantal Chamberland – Dripping Indigo 2xLP (Evosound)
Translucent purple colorway. Smooth as a dry martini and equally intoxicating, Chantal Chamberland’s Dripping Indigo cements her role as one of the best interpreters of classic song book favorites. Two factors set Chamberland’s music apart from the pack. First, the arrangements are slow and sexy relying on a small jazz ensemble for backing (piano, sax, bass light rhythm). Secondly is her luscious voice, which caresses the listener with a breathy purr throughout the album.
Lukas de Clerck – The Telescopic Aulos Of Atlas LP (Ideologic Organ)
Lukas de Clerck brings us the ancient Greek instrument, the aulos, of which his new interpretation of long form expression is coaxed forth on this tremendous recording.
Lukas de Clerck explores a niche of archaeological research in music; the aulos is a historical Greek instrument that Lukas analyzed and reinterpreted by a luthier in modern times-navigating this impression as an artwork or living sculptural object, as there is an absence of historical partitions or written information about how to recreate technique on the instrument. Lukas de Clerck has interpreted information from the rare archaeological resources and visual art of the classical Greek period to recreate both playing technique and possible sound timbres with the instrument.
Nikka Costa – Pebble To A Pearl LP (Go Funk Yourself)
Over 14 days at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Nikka created Pebble To A Pearl – a quintessential collection of soul, blues, funk & pop infused tracks. Originally recorded and produced by Justin Stanley (James Lidell, Beck), the album was released on Stax Records in 2008. This timely Deluxe Anniversary Edition features new feel-good funk track “Soulsucka”.
Martin Denny – Forbidden Island [Reissue/1958] LP (Jackpot)
There’s a reason why Martin Denny remains a cultural touchstone-his records are as earthly as they are from outer space. Forbidden Island was Denny’s third record, recorded after a nine-month residency in Hawaii. This era finds Denny just on the cusp of being a household name, a period where his records would shortly become certified Gold. Forbidden Island is a solidification of Denny being the King of the Exotica sound, where his recordings could illuminate just enough darkness across the Tiki Bar to let a few of us slowly dance the night away. These reissues also include the original iconic album artwork featuring model/actor Sandy Warner (which was often the gateway into these albums before we ever heard the music in these grooves).
Martin Denny – Enchanted Sea [Reissue/1959] LP (Jackpot)
Long before Denny started heading into outer space with his Moog work, he was keeping us just floating slightly above the ground with the sounds of the earth – and The Enchanted Sea is one of his most grounded and beautiful works. Unlike many of his other exotica records (which are filled with the sound of the jungle, its wildlife, and the smell of the tiki bar smoke) this one has the feeling of a tumbler full of ice, walking barefoot on a sandy beach in the twilight, while breathing in the salt air. There are early glimpses here of where he was starting to head with psychedelic-treated pianos, ethereal female vocals, and abstract orchestration beginning to find their way into the listener’s ears. It’s an album that seems less comical than some of his earlier work, with an allure more from the heart, without the heartbreak (even though the occasional tinge of wistfulness surrounds it).
Martin Denny – Exotic Percussion [Reissue/1961] LP (Jackpot)
Now joining Jackpot Record’s ever-expanding collection of Martin Denny reissues is the hypnotic visual sound of Exotic Percussion, which has not been on vinyl since its original release in 1961. His production on Exotic Percussion is ambitious, adventurous, and fascinatingly futuristic, especially when a tumbler with ice was still the preferred way to let loose. Xylophones and chimes swim from ear to ear; traditional jazz instrumentation collides with such musical oddities as boo bas, shamisens, Manga harp, and Burmese gongs. As always, the choice of compositions on a Martin Denny record is a bizarre yet exciting spin around the globe, but this one is even weirder than usual. From the faster-than-light of Cumana to the luscious groove of “Moonlight On The Ganges” (made famous by Frank Sinatra and a track that is still being played on a loop at Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise attraction), it’s a whiplash of a ride. But the stand-out on the record is the combo of Misirlou (which would be made famous a few years later by Dick Dale and even decades later with its appearance in Pulp Fiction). So, join the conga line and head out into the street as Martin Denny once again creates a world we yearn to return to and an album we can always revisit.
Dirty Heads – Midnight Control Deluxe: Collector’s Edition 4xLP (Better Noise Music)
After digital release in July of 2023, fans will finally be able to get their hands on “Midnight Control Deluxe” on vinyl. This 4xLP boxset includes the original 10 track album plus 13 new tracks. This collector’s edition boxset was printed entirely on FSC certified recycled paper stocks and features recycled vinyl, three unique vinyl etchings, a 20-page booklet and a 24″x36″ poster.
Matt Duncan – I Will Write Your Song LP (Colemine)
Color vinyl pressing. Matt Duncan, for fans of Vulfpeck, Steely Dan, and Electric Light Orchestra. This album is a musical trip down memory lane. Remember when your mom and dad were listening and getting down to the AM Radio? This album is that vibe.
Ezra Feinberg – Soft Power LP (Tonal Union)
Ezra Feinberg’s third album Soft Power sees the composer-guitarist enlist an impressive array of fellow musicians including Mary Lattimore, David Moore (Bing & Ruth), Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, and Robbie Lee. Defined by its abundance of melodies, repeating figures and ecstatic improvisations, Soft Power exudes an enlightened and transformative spirit to empower the listener. [A color vinyl pressing is available.]
John Fogerty – Premonition (Live 1997) [Reissue/1998] LP (BMG)
Premonition is the first live album released by John Fogerty as a solo artist. He performs many hits by his earlier band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, as well as songs composed as a solo artist. It was recorded with a live audience at Warner Bros. Studios Stage 15 on December 12 & 13, 1997.
Kenny G – Rhythm & Romance [Reissue/2008] LP (Concord)
Kenny G’s fifteen studio album, Rhythm & Romance, is a romantic collection of Latin music, featuring original songs and classic favorites. Contemporary love songs with a Latin twist.
Grateful Dead – Fillmore East 2-11-69 [Reissue/1997] 3xLP (Friday Music)
Exclusive 180gm audiophile 3xLP deluxe set of the Grateful Dead’s Fillmore East 2-11-69. This amazing, limited edition treasure trove features tunes from these historic concerts, both early and late shows. Filled with 17 stellar performances, The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kruetzmann, Ron McKernana and Tom Constanten radiate with some of their finest playing and singing ever, making this a wonderful listen and highly collectible album for years to come.
Nathan Haines – Notes 2xLP (Emk)
Renowned New Zealand musician Nathan Haines announces his eleventh studio album and first solo album since 2014. Nathan’s vibrant career has solidified his status as a leading figure in contemporary jazz and electronic music, and throughout his career he has distinguished himself as a masterful saxophonist, flautist, and composer, celebrated for his innovative fusion of jazz with elements of soul, funk, and dance music. Notes maintains the jazz sound he is famed for, whilst also seeing the artist embrace the electronic/house and disco scene.
Harvestman – Triptych: Part Two LP (Neurot)
Released periodically on three of 2024’s full moons – April 23rd’s Pink Moon, July 21st’s Buck Moon and October 17th’s Hunter Moon – the three-album cycle, Triptych, is Harvestman’s most ambitious undertaking yet. But it’s also the distillation of a unique approach that finds a continuity amongst the fragmented, treating all its myriad musical sources and reference points not as building bricks, but as tuning forks for a collective ancestral resonance, residing in that liminal space between the fundamental and the imaginary, the intrinsic and the speculative. Drawn to the megaliths, ruins and ancient sites mapped out along the British and European mainland’s geographical and psychic landscapes, the folklore and apocrypha forever resurfacing as portals from a rational world, Triptych is a meditation forged from traces and residues, and an hallucinatory recollection of artists who have tapped into that enduring otherworldliness embedded within us all.
Amy Helm – Silver City LP (Sun)
Purple colorway. Amy Helm created a map of memories on Silver City. She brings her experiences as a single mother, her family’s legacies, her blessings and curses into focus as conversations that travel through time celebrating womanhood. The torchbearer of Levon Helm’s legacy in Woodstock, Amy is as heart-forward a performer and songwriter. She brings an inspirational horn-driven groove to “Money on 7,” a letter to her sons on “Hwy 81,” and gets behind the drums on “Baby Come Back.”
Dr. Hooker – The Truth [Reissue/1972] LP (Numero)
A real people music masterpiece, D.R. Hooker’s 1972 debut meets at the be-in of drug-addled hippy psychedelia and evangelical Christianity. Conjuring visions of an L.S.D.-damaged Frank Sinatra or Lou Reed playing the role of a divorced suburban dad, The Truth is a religious midlife crisis disguised as a private press LP. Forge your own chains, indeed. [Multiple colorways are available.]
Horse Jumper Of Love – Disaster Trick LP (Run For Cover)
Horse Jumper of Love thrives on patient and pummeling songs. Since 2013, the Boston trio of singer-guitarist Dimitri Giannopoulos, bassist John Margaris, and drummer James Doran have slowly stretched the fringes of indie rock across five full-length LPs. Their music unwinds with gutting emotional intensity thanks to Giannopoulos’ impressionistic lyrics and how the arrangements violently lurch from delicate to bludgeoning. Disaster Trick, the band’s new album, is their most direct and uncompromising LP yet. It’s 11 songs tackle self-destructiveness and healing with jolting lucidity. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Abdullah Ibrahim – Good News From Africa [Reissue/1990] LP (Enja)
Pianist-composer Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly known as Dollar Brand) has long ranked among South Africa’s giants alongside Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and the late Kippie Mokoetsi. A master of improvisation with a distinctive African edge, the exiled Cape Town musician has developed a musical style over the past 30 years that defies categorization. Rather, it is a fascinating mosaic of diverse traditions including African rural and township rhythms, classical jazz, and gospel. South African folk melodies are enriched with Western harmonies, coalescing into a gracefully fluid and intensely spiritual whole.
Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away [Reissue/2014] LP (Atlantic)
2014 debut album from Vance Joy; a folk/pop artist from Melbourne, Australia. Vance Joy’s love of music was inspired by his mother’s aptitude for literature and his father’s fondness of singing. His parents’ vast, eclectic record collection only served to heighten his partiality to it. After completing a university degree in law, he decided to take a year’s break to focus on making music. He travelled to India and South-East Asia with a collection of songs rattling around in his head. When he came home, they all fell into place. Like the unforced orchestration of his songs, Vance Joy’s success has developed organically. Expanded 2xLP set pressed on translucent red vinyl and featuring two bonus tracks (“Fire and the Flood” and “Straight Into Your Arms”) making their debut on vinyl.
Isik Kural – Moon Is In Gemini LP (RVNG Intl’l)
Isik Kural’s Moon In Gemini is a luminous scrapbook of slow-flowing narratives couched in intuitive and symbolic storytelling. Awash in woodwinds and strings, lullaby inflected lyrics and tender imagery, Isik’s voice moves closer to the listener’s ear on his third album, intoning states of being in which the wonder filled sound of everyday life can be heard and felt. Moon In Gemini is a space for wide daydreaming, where the invisible steps forward and dauntless ghosts play under a hazy lunar light.
Danny Scott Lane – Caput [Reissue/2021] LP (WRWTFWW)
Originally released on cassette only, Caput is desert music inspired by the city, a serene and cozy soundtrack of contemplative synth, mini pleasure-grooves, and botanical ambient jazz, sure to gently pacify the emotionally conflicted and make small moments the best moments. Scott Lane’s smooth downtempo is like a cushiony bubble of simple life, protecting the mind from noise and stress. It’s the comforting hand on the shoulder, the blanket that keeps warm, the easy Sunday morning breakfast — caring chillout music to escape from the brouhaha.
Langhorns – Showstopper LP (Adore Music)
Langhorns is the band from Lund, Sweden that, with their equally natural and innovative style, has brought surf rock out of history books and into modern times.
LSD (Labrinth, Sia, Diplo) – Presents LSD (5th Anniversary Edition) [Reissue/2019] LP (Sony Legacy)
LSD is a collaborative supergroup composed of Sia, Diplo and Labrinth. The group evolved as a natural kinship amongst artists, initiated by songwriters Labrinth and Sia who came together one night to write a song and quickly realized there were many more waiting to be penned. Their undeniable musical chemistry evolved, and they were soon joined by Diplo, who rounded out the trio. This is their debut album release featuring the global hit singles “Thunderclouds”, “Genius” and “Audio”. This 5th anniversary edition features an alternate colorway of the original album cover and is pressed on sea glass color vinyl.
Madonna – Like A Prayer [Reissue/1989] LP (WB)
Limited silver colored vinyl pressing. Madonna’s paradigm shifting Like A Prayer scandalized the world upon its release 35 years ago. It is her fourth studio album and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and produced 6 singles, and four top ten hits, “Like A Prayer,” “Cherish,” “Express Yourself,” and “Keep it Together.” The silver edition release is the latest reissue in the series of Silver Editions of Madonna’s catalogue as we continue to celebrate 40 years of her illustrious career.
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Live At The Berkely Community Theater November 9, 1972 LP (Rennaissance)
The original incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra was extraordinarily successful. Their debut LP Inner Mounting Flame (1971), achieved crossover nirvana, climbing the Billboard Jazz chart before breaking into the top 100 on the rock chart. Performed a year later and just two months after the sessions for their second studio LP Birds Of Fire, this live appearance demonstrates that McLaughlin’s vision, notorious for its intensity, also encompassed profound dynamic shifts and melodic beauty. At their best McLaughlin, violinist Jerry Goodman, keyboard innovator Jan Hammer, bassist Rick Laird and powerhouse drummer Billy Cobham were untouchable as a live act. Unfortunately for them after two full-on years and 500 concerts the band imploded. Fortunately for us, one of the best of their best nights, live at Berkeley Community Theater, CA, on November 9th, 1972, was broadcast by KFAT-FM radio. [Multiple colorways are available.]
Man Or Astroman – Roygbiv (Recordings From The BBC) 8×7” (Chunklet)
Chunklet Industries is proud to announce a breakthrough in broadcasting technology. For the first time, the BBC working hand-in-hand with intergalactic audio pioneers Man… or Astro-Man? present to you seven volumes of their famed U.K. radio sessions recorded between 1994 and 1997.
March Violets – Crocodile Promises LP (Metropolis)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Crocodile Promises, the new album from legendary post-punk/goth rock act The March Violets builds upon the band’s 40-year legacy. Founding members Rosie Garland and Tom Ashton are now joined by bassist Mat Thorpe. Crocodile Promises finds the March Violets in top form, creating a reinvigorated take on its trademark boundary-shredding goth-tinged post punk.
Jackie McLean – Let Freedom Ring [Reissue/1962] LP (Blue Note)
Jackie McLean’s 1962 album Let Freedom Ring reflected the change in the air of the early ’60s: both the musical freedoms being explored by the emergent avant-garde movement and the social freedoms sought by the ascendent civil rights movement. This four-song set features the alto saxophonist with Walter Davis Jr. On piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums melds the bluesy language of hard bop with the bristling energy of The New Thing. McLean’s emotive horn wails, shrieks, and soothes as the quartet moves through three striking McLean originals: “Melody For Melonae” (dedicated to his daughter), “Rene” (dedicated to his son), and “Omega” (dedicated to his mother). A plaintive rendition of the Bud Powell ballad “I’ll Keep Loving You” rounds out the date.
Joe McPhee – Black Magic Man [Reissue/1975] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Joe McPhee – Willisau Concert [Reissue/1976] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Joe McPhee – Tenor [Reissue/1976] LP (Superior Viaduct)
American jazz multi-instrumentalist, born in Miami, Florida, November 3, 1939, a player of tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones, trumpet, pocket trumpet, valve trombone, and flugelhorn.
Joni Mitchell – Hejira [Reissue/1976] 2xLP (Elektra)
Joni Mitchell – Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter [Reissue/1977] 2xLP (Elektra)
Joni Mitchell – Mingus [Reissue/1979] LP (Elektra)
Joni Mitchell – Shadows And Light [Reissue/1980] 2xLP (Elektra)
Vinyl reissues of the Canadian singer/songwriter/painter’s eight, ninth, tenth, and eleventh albums. [Exclusive color vinyl pressings of Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter and Mingus are available.]
Mkka – Life In Cartoon Motion [Reissue/2007] LP (Republic)
Mika’s breakthrough debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, was originally released in 2007 and features four UK Top 10 hits, including “Love Today,” “Big Girl (You Are Beautiful),” “Happy Ending,” and the #1 smash “Grace Kelly,” as well as the fan-favorite hidden track.
Modest Jazz Trio – Good Friday Blues [Reissue/1960] LP (Blue Note)
Recorded in the wee hours of Good Friday 1960, this charming and impromptu Pacific Jazz session captured the easygoing alchemy of The Modest Jazz Trio featuring Jim Hall on guitar, Red Mitchell on piano, and Red Kelly on bass. Good Friday Blues would be the trio’s sole album, a sublimely swinging date that did indeed begin with the modest expectations of capturing a single track for a blues anthology that Richard Bock was producing. But the vibe was right, the trio was inspired, the music flowed, and by morning they had laid down six tracks including a pair of originals by Mitchell and renditions of songbook standards.
Alanis Morissette – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Rhino)
Alanis Morissette’s multi-platinum album Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and Rhino is celebrating with a 2xLP reissue featuring newly reimagined artwork.
PJ Morton – Cape Town To Cairo LP (Morton)
From Cape Town to Cairo, and now to fans, stages and screens around the world, PJ Morton shares his newest album, fully made in the motherland. Cape Town To Cairo is a collection of songs that he created in 30 days throughout four countries in Africa – South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt. Described as the best trip of his life, this transformative journey began as just the seed of an idea last fall, but instantly grew into his most sonically-sprawling and immediately inspired record to date.
Mystic – Dreaming In Cursive: The Girl Who Loved Sparklers LP (Beautifull Soundwork)
Grammy-nominated rapper, singer, and Bay Area legend Mystic (affectionately known as the “DU Goddess of Digital Underground”) has returned to bless the world with a new album like only she can. Dreaming In Cursive: The Girl Who Loved Sparklers is Mystic’s first new release from her label, Beautifull Soundworks, and is produced by herself and Walt Liquor. With song and voice that resonates with the beauty of unadulterated womanhood, Mystic’s new album is what she coined, “Healed Black woman music.” As a seasoned veteran in the music business, Mystic reminds us of her ability to seamlessly weave together harmonies and vivid lyrics that invoke thoughts of love, community, and healing.
Naughty By Nature – O.P.P. b/w Uptown Anthem 7” (Tommy Boy Music)
There was not a bigger, more contagious crossover radio smash in the autumn of 1991 than Naughty by Nature’s “O.P.P.,” a song that somehow managed the trick of being both audaciously catchy and subversively coy at the same time. The lead single off their eponymous album, it was one of the first rap songs to become a pop hit when it reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart. It even named one of the 20 greatest singles of the 1990s by SPIN magazine. The third single off Naughty By Nature, “Uptown Anthem,” is the B-side on this 7″. Originally made for the soundtrack for the movie Juice, the song peaked at No. 27 on the Hot Rap Singles chart and No. 58 on the Hot R&B Singles chart.
Oda – Oda [Reissue/1973] LP (Riding Easy)
Of the plethora of touted “private press hard rock monsters’ out there, very few live up to the swaggering riff-fury of west coast blasters Oda. Commonly known as the “Black Album,” the first clobbering platter by the quartet was released on their own tiny Loud Phonograph Records imprint and now commands large sums-but is worth the heavy hype. The band naturally centered around Randy Oda, a multi-talented ax shredder and keyboardist, and the lineup was filled out by his brother Kevin on drum assault, Art Pantoja on lead bellows and rhythm guitar, and galloping bassist Kyle Schneider.
Graham Parsons – Now Playing LP (Atlantic)
Dive into the timeless sound of Gram Parsons with this captivating tracklist that effortlessly blends country, rock, and folk influences. From the heartfelt melodies of “A Song for You” to the lively rhythms of “Ooh Las Vegas”, each track highlights Parsons’ musical genius and enduring legacy in Americana music.
Prince Lasha Quintet featuring Sonny Simmons – The Cry! [Reissue/1963] LP (Craft Recordings)
Released in 1963 on the Contemporary Records label, The Cry! is a free jazz album by saxophonists Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons. Also featured are Gary Peacock and Mark Proctor (bass), and Gene Stone (drums).
John Prine – Now Playing LP (Atlantic)
This Now Playing John Prine’s tracklist features a collection of deeply personal and storytelling songs that span folk and country genres. Tracks like “Illegal Smile” and “Angel from Montgomery” showcase his ability to craft vivid narratives, while songs like “Paradise” and “Fish and Whistle” add a touch of humor and charm. This compilation shines light on Prine’s songwriting prowess and his enduring impact on folk and country music.
Roots Round Up – Up Rooted LP (Sudden Death)
Sixth full-length album from one of Vancouver’s long time music scene veterans. Roots Round Up plays a high energy hybrid of globe-spanning music, mashing up the sounds of roots rock, reggae, dub and ska with psychedelic sonics and punk rock conviction.
Bria Skonberg – What It Means LP (Cellar Live)
New York based Canadian Bria Skonberg is a Juno award winning triple threat trumpeter, singer and songwriter.
Steve Roach – Dreamtime Return [Reissue/1988] 2xLP (Projekt)
Blue colorway. Since its release in 1988, Dreamtime Return has earned its reputation as a genuine classic. This magnum opus is one of the most important, widely known and highly respected releases in Steve Roach’s vast body of work. It serves as an essential benchmark within the electronic-ethno-atmospheric genre. Roach’s travels in the Australian outback, along with studies of the Aboriginal Dreamtime, and his desert walkabouts in California were the lifeblood for this recording which even today sounds like a transmission from the near future and the very distant past.
Jack Scott – Jack Scott’s Greatest Hits LP (Curb)
Jack Scott had a powerful voice and a lot of potential, but he never had the celebrity and success of a Frankie Avalon or Roy Orbison. His Greatest Hits is an opportunity for old fans to revel in the nostalgia, and for new fans to be blown away by his vocal ability.
The Slackers – Close My Eyes [Reissue/2002] LP (Pirates Press)
Vinyl reissue of the 2002 album by NYC ska-reggae legends The Slackers – a complex and nuanced album that shows the band’s versatility and capacity for both commentary and introspection. [A red colorway is available.]
The Softies – It’s Love [Reissue/1995] LP (K. Records)
It’s Love is the first of three albums by The Softies. Heartache, longing and ultimate finesse… ultra pop that cannot be denied. Rose Melberg (Tiger Trap, Gaze, Go Sailor) teams up with Jen Sbragia (All Girl Summer Fun Band) for this combination of two guitars and two voices, creating songs that dig deep into your heart and soul – and you won’t let them leave. There is a level of strength in The Softies’ music that does not recede, the songs breaking over you beauty after beauty.
Jon Spencer – Sick Of Being Sick! LP+MP3 (Bronze Rat)
Clear vinyl pressing. Jon Spencer teams up with Kendall Wind and Macky Spider Bowman – the rhythm section from Woodstock NY punk rock wunderkind The Bobby Lees – to chew bubblegum and kick ass.
Frankie Stein and His Ghouls – Monster Melodies [Reissue/1965] LP (Real Gone Music)
Frankie Stein and His Ghouls – Monster Sounds And Dance Music [Reissue/1965] LP (Real Gone Music)
Color vinyl pressings. Campy ’60s takes on horror rock.
Moses Sumney – Mid-City Island LP (Sumney)
Recorded in 2014, Mid-City Island is the first ever project to be released by Moses Sumney. Moses recorded the entire EP from his apartment in Mid-City, Los Angeles straight to cassette on a four-track recorder that TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek lent him. To mark the 10-year anniversary of Mid-City Island, Moses kept good on a promise he made to himself all those years ago, broke and starting out – that he would press it to vinyl in a decade.
Syteria – Syteria World LP (Renaissance)
Welcome to ‘Syteriaworld’. A realm of colorful, pounding and punked-melodic rock that is occupied by Yorkshire -bred band Syteria. Formed by Jackie ‘Jax’ Chambers, of the legendary UK rockers Girlschool, alongside Argentine siblings Julia and Pablo Calvo, and Steph Dawson, with previous albums ‘Rant-O-Bot’ and ‘Reflection’, and a host of tours and festival appearances, Syteria have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. The Syteria sound mixes elements of modern pop/punk energies with more contemporary rock anthemic choruses, incorporating four-part harmonies and using the ancient Solfeggio scale of recording in 432hz, instead of the standard 440hz, to leave you feeling in tune with the universe. [Multiple colorways are available on vinyl.]
Livingston Taylor – Ink [Reissue/1997] LP (Chesky)
Considered by many fans to be the best album from Livingston Taylor, Ink pays homage to pop songwriting with a collection of richly realized interpretations, including Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street.” and the great Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah, I Love Her So.” With his rich vocals, exceptional guitar skills, and meticulous production Ink reveals itself as a document of a man who knows what makes a song a memorable and moving experience.
Willie Tee – I’m Only A Man [Reissue/1970] LP (Real Gone Music)
Purple colorway. The perfect blend of raw R&B passion and smooth, sophisticated soul production.
Texas Tornadoes – Now Playing LP (Rhino)
Formed in the 1990s, explore the heart of Tex-Mex music with the American Tejano supergroup Texas Tornados, composed of iconic musicians including Flaco Jiménez, Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm, and Freddy Fender. Featuring hits like “Who Were You Thinkin’ Of,” the lively “Hey Baby Que Paso,” and the soulful “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone.” With a blend of catchy rhythms, heartfelt storytelling, and a touch of cultural flavor, this ‘Now Playing’ celebrates the rich musical heritage of Texas Tornado.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Live 1960 LP (Org Music)
Oxblood colorway. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the first great recording star of gospel music and among the first gospel musicians to appeal to rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll audiences. Later being referred to as “the original soul sister” and “the godmother of rock and roll”, Sister Rosetta’s influence is omnipresent. Long overdue, Tharpe was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence in 2018. This set from 1960 has plenty of variety, lots of sincere feeling, and high levels of musicianship from the unique performer.
Theoxenia – (Adventures In) Stasis LP (Soft Abuse)
Theoxenia is a solo excursion for Dave Shuford, exploratory lifer and member of, among many others, No Neck Blues Band, Rhyton, and D. Charles Speer & The Helix.
Martina Topley-Bird – Quixotic [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Quixotic is the debut album by English singer-songwriter Martina Topley-Bird. The album spans several musical styles including trip hop, electronic and rock. It was co-written and produced by Topley-Bird and received positive reviews from music critics upon its release and was shortlisted for the 2003 Mercury Music Prize. Quixotic also includes a collaboration with musician Tricky, with whom Topley-Bird collaborated prior to her solo work.
Wild Rivers – Wild Rivers [Reissue/2016] LP (Nettwerk)
Orange/yellow colorway. Acclaimed Canadian indie folk trio Wild Rivers presented nine undeniable and unforgettable tracks on their self-titled debut in 2016. The Line Of Best Fit enthusiastically asserted, “Together, the band create dynamic, intimate and heart-rending indie-pop that lays brutally bare lyricism over rich and emotional melody.”
The Wonder Years – Sister Cities [Reissue/2018] LP (Hopefless)
Clear vinyl pressing. Sister Cities is an album about distance, connectivity and the way humanity towers above boundaries. What The Wonder Years do so effortlessly on Sister Cities is no small feat; through poetic lyricism, ambient guitar swells, and Jimmy Eat World-levels of crashing momentum. On Sister Cities, they take a massive, unexpected leap forward both sonically and thematically, now speaking confidently to the world at large.
Cassettes:
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks (ANTI-)
Manning Fireworks is a remarkable development in MJ Lenderman’s story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humor always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. There’s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman let’s listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens. [An indie store exclusive translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Midwife – No Depression In Heaven (The Flenser)
Midwife’s No Depression In Heaven, her fourth studio album, was written primarily in the back of vans while on tour endlessly over the course of the past few years. The record engages with the contemplative spirit of rock ‘n’ roll from within a body in motion. No Depression In Heaven explores themes of sentimentality, the interplay between dreams, memory, and fantasy, and a familiar subject seen throughout all of Midwife’s work: grief.
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